Time-lock



(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 1' E. S. PHELPS.

TIME LOCK.

Patented Nov. 22, 1892.

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(No Model.) 3 Sheets-Sheet 2.

E. S. PHELPS; TIME LOOK.

No. 486,603. Patented Nov. 22, 1892.

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E. s. PHELPS.

TIME LOCK- No. 486,603. Pateilted Nov. 22,1892.

THE "cams Pzrzas co, Pun'roumm WASHINGTGN, n cy UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

EDWIN SANFORD PHELPS, OF LEAVENWORTH, KANSAS.

TIME-LOCK.

SFECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 486,603, dated November 22, 1892,

Application filed June 2, 1892. Serial No. 435,254. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

'Be it known that I, EDWIN SANFORD PHELPS, a citizen of the United States, residing at Leavenworth, in the county of Leavenworth and State of Kansas, have invented certain new and useful Improvements in Time- Locks; and I do declare the following to be a full, clear, and exact description of the invention, such as will enable others skilled in the art to which it appertains to make and use the same, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, which form a part .of this specification.

This invention relates to improvements in time-locks such as are applied to doors of stores, offices, banks, safes, &c.; and it has for its object the construction of such a device whereby the door with which it is used can be locked in such a manner that only during a certain predetermined time it can be unlocked by a certain key intrusted to a subordinate, for instance, and which at the same time can be unlocked by a different key carried by the principal at any time.

The invention has, further, for its object the provision of a time mechanism that can be applied to any lock provided with tumblers or dogsto guard the key-hub, whereby the abovenamed objects may be secured, and also the provision of such a mechanism that is of simple construction and application and which is efficient in its purpose.

The invention also has for its object the provision of a means whereby it can be ascertained at what time or times the door may have been unlocked from the exterior.

The invention consists in the novel construction, combination, and arrangement of parts, such as will be hereinafter fully described, pointed out in the appended claims, and illustrated in the accompanying drawin the accompanying drawings, in which similar letters of reference designate corresponding parts, Figure 1 is a front elevation of alocking mechanism embodying the invention, the front of the casing being removed. Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the same, the side piece of the casing being removed. Fig. 3 is an enlarged detail view showing a cross-section on the line 3 3 of Fig. l.v Fig. 4 is a similar view showing a plan view of the casing for the outer key-hub and its adjunctive parts. Fig. 5 is a similar view showing a rear elevation of the casing carrying the outer key-hub and several of the parts connected'therewith. Fig. 6 is a detail view showing one of the movable tumblers carried by the outer key-hub casing. Fig. 7 is a detail viewshowing afrontelevation, illustrating the two dials, the outer of which is partly broken away, and the lock proper, the casing of the latter being removed. Fig. 8 is an enlarged detail view showing a section 011 the line 8 8 of Fig. 7. Fig. 9 is a detail view showing a section taken through the line 9 9 of Fig. 8, and Fig. 10 is a detail perspective view showing one of the extension-arms.

Referring to the drawings, A designates the door; B, the main casing, which carries the several different parts of the lock; 0, the lock proper, and D the clock mechanism.

E designates the escutcheon secured to the outer face of the door and has secured to its back the casing F, which carries the key-hub, through which the bolt of the lock proper can be operated from the outer side of the door.

The lock 0 is secured to the part of the main casing B, and it consists, primarily, of a bolt 0, suitably recessed on its inner side for the reception of the dog 0', which has a rack 0 formed on its upper edge. The latter normally extends above the surrounding casing. The key-hub c is seated in a socket c and is provided with usual tumblers and the arms 0 and 0 By means of the said arms-the hub will when rotated move the bolt 0 and depress; e 3

the dog a during such movement. being held normally by the arm 0 in engagement with the lantern-gear h the bolt can be moved until the dog is released of such engagement, which is accomplished by its depression by the said arm. By means of the hub c the lock can be operated at any time from the interior.

The main plate of the casing B is perforated at h, immediately above the lock 0, and has secured thereto so that it will register with the said opening the sleeve H, in which is journaled the spindle h, provided with a suitable provision against longitudinal movement, but which will not interfere with its free rotation. To the front end of this spindle the lantern-gear I0 is attached and which meshes with the rack c of the dog 0 and will through such connection on the rotation of the spindle move the bolt 0 to lock or unlock the door. The rear end of the spindle is diametrically slotted at h.

To the back of the main plate of the casing B the casing F is adjustably secured by the screws Z l, passing through the main plate and engaging with the threaded lugs Z Z of the casing. Their adjustable connection allows the lock to be fitted to any door, whatever its thickness might be. The front end of the casing F has secured to it or made integral with it the escutcheon E. In the casing is journaled the key-hub. f, suitably slotted for the reception of a key, and it is secured against turning by other than the proper key by the tumblers f f','the upperones of which are seated in the extension f and the lower ones in the hub. Two of the upper tumblers are replaced by the tumbers shownin Fig. 6, which are the ordinary tumblers extended and provided at their upper ends with extensions or lugs f f the sides of the extension being slotted to receive the said lugs. The purpose of these peculiarly-constructed tumblers will be explained hereinafter.- The inner end of the key-hub is provided with a diametrical slot, in which and the slot 7& in the end of the spindle h the ends of the plate f are respectively seated. Through this connection any rotation of the key-hub. f by a proper key will be communicated to the spindle h and thelantern-gear 72. which,meshing with the rack of the dog 0', will move the bolt 0 to lock or unlock the door, as the case maybe.

The key-hnbfis provided with two diiterent keys, one of which will when inserted adjust all the tumblers to allow the turning of the hub, except those which are provided with projecting lngsf f and consequently cannot turn the spindle so long as these tum blers are in the way. An automatic time mechanism, which will be described farther on, is provided, however, which will during a certain predetermined period of time raise the said interfering tumblers and allow the key to turn the hub, which it cannot do outside of such period, as the tumblers are then lowered into position and the hub cannot be turned except by another key which will make the proper adjustment of all the tumblers. This second key will also turn the hub while the dogs or tumblers are elevated.

The purposes to which a lock constructed so that a certain key will operate the lock only during a certain period of time and a second key will operate it at all times are obvious and need not be herein again set forth.

The mechanism which automatically raises and lowers the tumblers of the outer keyhub will now be described.

The clock mechanism D, secured to the upper part of the main plate of the casing B,

is that which is ordinarily used in twentyfour-hour clocks. The stationary dial-plate cl is supported in any suitable manner, in the present instancebeing shown as supported by the bracket (1' d, attached to the casing. The hours, one to twenty-four, inclusive, are indicated on its face. Beneath the fixed dial a moving dial d of the same diameter as the former is mounted. The moving dial consists of the metallic plate 01 mounted on the sleeve (i journaled on the shaft d, and which carries the hour-hand,so as to be rotated with the same. On the face of this plate, near its edge, are radially arranged the expansionarms M, twenty-four in number and equidistant apart. Each of these arms is formed of a shank m, secured to the plate, and the movable portion m', dovetailed to the shank, so that it can be. readily moved radially. Any other connection which will allow the .radial movement of the portion m can be used without departing from the spirit of theinven- -tion. To limit the movement of the portion m, its inner end is provided with a stop m which will come in contact with stops snitably placed upon the dial'. The spring m is provided, which will by engaging with the notches in the extensible portion m serve to hold the said part in its adjusted position. The outer end of each of the extension-arms has secured thereto a segmental piece m, which is so formed that it will project slightly above the fixed dial-plate and is of such a length that it will not interfere with the movement of its neighbors. These extension-arms are numbered consecutively from 1 to 24, inclusive, and they are so arranged that number 12 will be directly under the hour-hand. The object of these extensionarms is to press upon a lever or arm a, which will through intermediate mechanism, hereinatter explained, elevate the two tumblers f f For an instance, suppose that a merchant should desire to have the lock of his store so adjusted as to allow the porter, to whom the key is 'intrusted which will only operate the hey-hub while the said tumblers are raised, to use his key between the hours of seven oclock a. m. and six oclock p. 111. Before going home at night he draws out all of the extension-arms m numbered 7 to 18, inclusive. The arms so arranged will press upon the arm a for the time mentioned, and through the intermediate mechanism uphold the tumblers f f As each of the segments willcontrol the tumblers for an hour each, they maybe so arranged as to operate at any desired number of intervals. The number of the arms may be increased to forty-eight, or several of them may be replaced by two each, so that the hours may be split it necessary. As such a change would not involve any essential change in the principle, they need. not be more specifically described.

The intermediate mechanism connecting the moving dial with the tumblers f f of the key-hub will now be described.

ICC

K designates a frame attached to the main plate of the casing immediately below the clock mechanism and has journaled in it the outer end of the shaft 70, the inner end of the latter having secured thereon the disk 10 which is journaled in a suitable bearing formed in the main plate. The outer face of the disk is provided with a diametrical slot, with which the end of the plate 10 registers. The outer end of the plate is bifurcated and engages with the notched periphery of the plate 10 rotatably mounted on the pin screwed into the extension f of the casing F. Attached to the plate 70 near its edge is an arm 10 which extends under the projections of the tumblersf f On the outer end of the shaft is is secured the arm a, provided with a friction-roller a on one end. A spiral spring a connects the other end of the arm with the frame K and serves to hold the arm in an upright position, so that if the arms M should be extended they would bear against the friction-roller and incline the arm to the left.

R designates a roll of paperor tape carried by the shaft r.

S S are feed-rollers, formed of rubber or other suitable material, driven at a uniform rate of speed by suitable connections with the clock mechanism, and serve to draw the graduated tape between the guides G G.

R R are guide-rolls which serve to support the paper in its course. withdrawn from the roll, it is deposited in a suitable receptacle to which access is had only by a person in authority.

T designates a lever pivoted on the shaft and provided with a slot in its lower end, which registers with a pin 25', projecting eccentrically from the lantern-gear h so that if the latter should be turned to unlock the door from the exterior the upper end of the lever would be moved in such a manner that the punch t secured to its upper end, would perforate the paper as it passed the slots i t in the guides G G. By this means it could always be ascertained by an examination of the graduated tape at what hours the door may have been unlocked from the exterior.

It might be well to observe that the arrangement of the tumblers guarding the key-hub f is not arbitrary, and any other obvious arrangement may be made without departing from the spirit of the invention, and, also, that the plates may be made to fit a door of any width.

Having described my invention, what I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, 1s-

1. In a device of the class described, the combination of a key-hub guarded by tumblers with a clock mechanism for raising one or more of the said tumblers to allow the use of different keys during difierent periods of time and the bolt operated by the said hub, substantially as described.

2. In a locking device, the combination of As the paper is a key-hub guarded by tumblers, the bolt operated by the said hub, the moving dial, the extension-arms carried by the said dial, and the intermediate mechanism connecting the said arms with the said tumblers, substantially as described.

3. In a locking device, the combination of the key-hub guard ed by tumblers, the bolt 0perated by the said tumblers, the clock mechanism for raising or lowering one or more of the said tumblers, and the recording mechanism to register the turning of the said hub, substantially as described.

4. In a locking device, the combination of the casing, the key-hub journaled therein, the bolt operated by the said hub, the tumblers seated in the said casing, the arm engaging with one or more of the said tumblers, and the mechanism for moving the said arm to raise or lower the said tumbler or tumblers, substantially as described.

5. In a locking device, the combination of the casing, the key-hub journaled therein, the bolt operated by the said hub, the tumblers seated in the said casing to lock the hub relatively thereto, the rotatable disk mounted on the casing, the arm carried by the disk and engaging with one or more of the said tumblers, the shaft connected with the said disk, the arm attached to the front end of the said shaft, the moving dial-plate, the extension-arms secured thereon and adapted to bear against when extended the arm connected with the shaft, substantially as described.

6. In a locking device, the combination of the casing, the key-hub journaled therein, the bolt operated by the said hub, the tumblers seated in the said casing to lock the hub relatively thereto, the disk rotatably -mouuted on the casing, the arm carried by the disk and engaging with one or more of the said tumblers, the shaft connected with the said disk, mechanism for partly rotating the said shaft, the segment mounted on the shaft, having cam-faces, and the spring adapted to press upon the cam, substantially as described. V

7. In a locking device, the combination of the lock proper consisting, essentially, of a bolt and a dog for moving the same, the said dog having a rack formed on its upper edge, and the rotatable lantern-gear meshing with the said rack, substantially as described.

8. In a locking device, the combination of the lock proper consisting, essentially, of a bolt and a dog for moving the latter, the said dog having a rack formed on its upper edge, the lantern-gear meshing with the said rack, the key-hub, and the shaft connecting the said hub with the lantern-gear, substantially as described.

9. In a locking device, the combination of the lock proper consisting, essentially, of a bolt and a dog for moving the latter, the said dog having a rack formed on its upper edge,

'the rotatable lantern-gear meshing with the said rack, the key-hub provided with arms to operate the said dog to disengage it from the lantern-gear, substantially as described.

10. In a locking device, the combination of .the lock proper consisting, essentially, of a bolt and a dog for moving the same, the said dog having a rack formed on its upper edge, the lantern-gear meshing with the said rack, the key-hub, the shaft carrying the said lantern-gear, the inner ends of the said shaft and key-hub having diametrieal slots, and the plate with its ends seated in the said slots, substantially as described.

11. In a locking device, the combination of EDWIN SANFORD PHELPS.

Witnesses:

G. M. HURLEY, C. P. RUTHERFORD. 

